How Important is a Growth Chart?
Healthcare professionals are concerned with growth. Height, weight gain and head circumference – which indicates brain development – change tremendously in the first 3 years of life. A child’s growth chart help your pediatrician get an idea if your child’s changes are healthy and on track.
At well-child visits, the staff stretches and weighs your child to gather measurements that they then compare to those of others in his age group on the growth chart. The information takes just minutes to get, but it can be among the most important for your pediatrician.
Abnormal changes in height, weight and head circumference can be an early warning sign that your child has a medical problem. “Most of concern would be if a child is off the chart, either too low or too high,” explains board-certified family nurse practitioner Neelia Miller.
How are Growth Charts Compiled?
Information gathered from thousands of children are compiled on a growth chart. The measurements from these children helps researchers determine the national average weight and height for boys and girls at various ages.
A growth chart has lines or curves that surround the average to let doctors know approximately what percentage of children fall outside of average. If your child’s weight falls on the 60th percentile line, for example, the doctor than knows that 40 percent of children in America weigh more and about 60 percent weigh less than your child.
In the year 2000, the charts were updated to reflect different cultures and ethnic diversities. Not every person grows at the same rate, and the charts account for this.
Growth Charts are Important, But Don’t Panic
Growth charts provide an important piece of information, but aren’t diagnostic. Mis-measurements can happen, especially if your baby moves a lot while on the scale. Any one measurement may be an aberration; if your child has recently been sick, for example, his weight may be lower than usual.
Normal measurements on a growth chart have a wide range. Even children in the upper or lower percentiles are considered normal and not necessarily at a health risk. Miller says, “Parents shouldn’t worry about what’s on a growth chart unless the pediatrician brings up concerns.”
Growth charts don’t predict the size of your child as he grows into adulthood, either. Miller notes, “There is no 100 percent way to determine adult height.”
Trends Matter
A one-time measurement on the growth chart isn’t as consequential as growth trends. If your child is in a lower percentile, but consistently grows – he’s developing normally for his body type and growth cycle. But, if you have a child in a higher percentile who drops into very low percentiles over the course of several visits, it may raise red flags for your pediatrician.
Genetics, nutrition, activity levels and environment impact growth. Abnormal growth can alert your doctor to possible threats to your child’s health in any of these areas. Once you know there’s a possible problem, you and your healthcare provider can take action that allows your child to achieve her growth and developmental potential.
Andrea Cespedes is a professionally trained chef and a Certified Nutrition Therapist. With more than 20 years of experience in the fitness industry, she coaches cycling and running and teaches Pilates and yoga. She is an American Council on Exercise-certified personal trainer, RYT-200 and has degrees from Princeton and Columbia University. She’s the proud mom of two kids, who love dance, rock climbing and animals.
